Custer’s 171st birthday celebrated

By AMY GAREIS
News-Herald Staff Writer
NEW RUMLEY - The legacy of Gen. George Armstrong Custer was reflected as the Custer Memorial Association marked what would have been his 171st birthday on Dec. 4.
More than 100 people packed New Rumley United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall to honor the village’s native son for a family-style meal supplied by church members and took part in a fund-raising raffle for the museum. Gen. Custer, portrayed by his modern-day doppleganger Rick Williams of Middletown, Ohio, was introduced to the crowd and posed with the ceremonial cake, while musician Steve Ball, of Columbus, also donned a Civil War uniform and later regaled attendants with stories and tunes while strumming an authentic 1860 Martin 2-20 guitar.
Read more about the event and Custer history in this weeks print edition of the Harrison News-Herald. Pictured above are Rick Williams and Steve Ball during the birthday celebration. Photo provided.

2 Comments

michael norquest2010-12-14
19:31:54

This is probably one of the many Civil War era Generals who should be remembered for their efforts during that conflict; what happened after the conflict and later in their military or political careers....not so much. Custer owes his historical longevity to a widow who could write and his accidential demise on the 100th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Not mentioned in many historical accounts are the facts that the man almost wiped out his family tree by having so many relatives enjoin him at the Little Big Horn and considering the on-going rivalry between Ohio and Michigan, that his civilian place of residence was Michigan and not Ohio.
I remember that large mural that once existed in the lobby of the former Custer Hotel (it still might be there) and was awe struck; as a five year old trying to take all that drama in. Very dramatic but not really all that accurate; little account given that this was a military disaster of the first order.

The general had an ego problem and a want of power. He was headed to catch the women and children escaping the village being attacked and forgot that Indians protect their families too. The General paid for this with his life and half of his family with him. The attack failure has been blamed or tried to blame on everyone of his suboradinates some how but the blame rests on this commander and his decisions.